Nursing nipple



June 15, 1948. I 3, w, GQQDSON 2,443,560

NURSING NIPPLE $1 'Filed April 9, 1946 Patented June 15, 1948 TED s S Application-April 9, 1946,;Serial 66ilg638 :1 This invention relates to nursing nippleszand. more particularly to those constructedio'i rubber zmoldedlin the :final; shap.e,':the1.term. 'ffrubbter ibe- .ing-used in aibroad sense.

*One -:of the iobjectsis .to provide :an improved rubberrnipple. .-;Another object is-zto; provide a nipple having --efi'ective provisions :for.,.prev.entingcollapse of the .anipple Iluring feeding. V

:Another object is to provides-a nipple -.which.'is very tefiectivelyuheld .on-the bottle meek "and :ithrough which the .milk or other liquidgcan .;be drawn in an;even andtuniformmanner. .In the .accompanyingdrawings: t ;:Fig.;1:isiarfragmentary-viewiof abottleaequipped .zwithaasnippleembodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section ;on';line llig. 1;

,:Figs. .3 and '4 are, irespectively,.=;sections :on lines "Si-13 and 4 & .of-Fig.'.2;

; Eig.i5 'is a partial.se'ctional'view .;of';thegnipple,.

.ffThe :nipple selectediforiillustrationiissone :made' ,of: rubberlmoldedsto provide the required; external :an d1 intern al contours ,1 the; nipple havings'an supper generally cylindrical portion, .andibelow rthis :porztion; a: portion'shapedgenerally .asza' narrow idome.

the dome heingza'dapted iforldistention:.by;an--:ex-

.ternalbead:atthe-bottle mouth, thenipple-having, when engaged with the bead, a relatively. ill ck sidewall snugly engaged: with the side surface of the bottle neck, and the lower end of the nipple dome having laterally extended tabs which are,

.convenient in grasping the nipple to apply it to the bottle and to remove it therefromumhetside wall of the dome is, as indicated, rather thick where it engages the side surface of the bottle neck.-and the upper sloppir g or slanting wall ofithe dome is relatively thick,'-but intheloand or zone-where there is engagement? withstheccurved side face of the bottle bead, the rubber wall is of reduced thickness. By constructing the nipple in this manner and having it properly dimensioned with respect to the adjacent parts of the glass bottle, the nipple, while easily applicable to and removable from the bottle, is, when mounted, very securely held. In addition to these fea- I a onims. (o1. Les-+252 I .2 times, t heinin e isa apr vi ed with n p wisi ns enablin the i. d -Q dr wns e l an .wuniiqrml z r mthe m sin e i-t nipple'and preve ie olla se@h win u asupply of fair 5 ;:to:ith ninpl ein eriqrva st i uid issibeins with- .drawn.

wln th idrawin nth bo l s-in i ted r 0. vine nec -J an a re c rcl ebead a atet e: mout and theanee z i he. smooth em sieylin r ea q r a flheinin l ri e tdreenera l at; lim hw em havin agene ellmcy i drica p endz r I5, the dome; d the manipulatingtabs fl, there bei in th s case; emet ie i latera tabs iflush withwhe bas o :thei i pleigeaeh th in near the:; tin;a .;upnens ra e ,,eresein s uri J58; Referrin oxl ei-fie nillbe een iha r e om 121:5 is. normal y; ath i arrons b t.- it is ca ab :of: distentionlvth n;ap liede the; bet le m ut :in;;- .the.;manner. showniinz sat-2- Tb 1. l t v ly .ithiok: portionmf; ithe; deme-;belo .the;bqttle ibead sis shown :,at'.-,l. .l,;and.. ihe ;.-relatively thick portion gaboveithe :bead ,isgshowmat. 20;,"these two-portions abi ng ioinedsby bend-er; one. 2 cthe :nin :wall, whioh isi relatively; thin, asv appea s :trom 'JEiQBSfi..ilmhelpQ ition !j,9;of;-,.the d0m wall i hap :to "provide-a :shoulder--.engaging under-the bead ,iasfhereinafter described. and the-wall portion t9 iiSSPIZOVidQd inte.rior,ly;near-.-thezlower end thererof (with ran iannular EIOOYQ 212;,- for a j purpose that ."willrhereinafterrappiear.

1:11). theilowenpart of Lth dlome. that isito say, in; the ;.p:o,rtion; lll the 1:.external :-.suriace. iis norsmelly approximately ZGYliIldliQfiLtflS; appears :from

vEigrfi; :ThE'fihiCkHeSS of thegpo-rtiion' l9 .is,--ho.w- :rever ;progre.ssivel y increased ;'irom;the ;b.ott om up- -.Wardly,:rand:kthis. causes; theirecess 23 ain the .ilowercpart of the domeito have its;diametercde- -creased an .upward :directien; :nrovidin mat th anppenlboundaryaolf :recess i253-..;a :sharp :bead-zen- ,igaging. :shoulder 1224;}.17116. :npper. :-;s urf ace of which isihorizontal,;andathe inner :suriace our which -.ta- .-.1I)B1S.iI1W&-1Zd1y andlipwardly. ;;-At;thei1o-Wer:hound- 5any of therwallzportionzwn shoulderflfiiis created. zaitcasslightzdistance above thabottomtpianeqof SUITE mipplenthe l-QTQQYEZ 2., :previonsly .rmentioned, {provided rJ Defining 'athis groove. at: :the lower side is a small inwardly extending flange 26, this being an annular flange which in this instance is at the base of the nipple. At one point in its circumference (in this particular case) a slit or kerf is formed in flange 26 crosswise, this slit or kerf being indicated at 21, and the same serving to permit air to enter the nipple during feeding,

3 as will hereinafter appear. In the particular case shown, the inner surface of recess '23 is provided with a pair of projecting members in the nature of ribs, these ribs being indicated at 28 and 29, and said ribs extending from the groove 22 to the upper boundary of recess 23. These ribs are of service in causing air to be conducted into the upper part of the nipple, as will hereinafter appear. Between the two ribs is an air space 30,. which air space is in line with the slit 2! so that air can readily pass upward from the slit into this space. The rib 29 is cut off at the upper boundary of recess 23, but the rib 28, after reaching the upper boundary of recess 23, is continued laterally in an extension portion 28 that extends laterally into the recess 2 l by which the thin wall portion 2| is created. The rib extension 28 extends. to and merges into the lower part of a wall 3| that extends into the upper portion of the dome. This wall 3! extends upwardly across portion 2| to a point such as 3l on the wall portion [6. The wall Ed has flat parallel sides, as appears from Figs. 5, 6 and 7, and its inner edge is substantially straight from one end to the other of this wall, and the straight edge is at an inclination, as shown in Fig. 6. The wall 3lextends completely across the bead-engaging zone of the nipple wall, and somewhat beyond this zone, so as to provide a means whereby entering air is carried beyond the upper boundary of the bottle bead so as to insure its reaching the upper part of the nipple to prevent collapse thereof.

When the nipple is in position on the bottle, the lower dome portion of the nipple is under some distention, and the small flange 26 'is in engagement with the side surface of the bottle neck. When the infant draws the: liquid out of the upper end of the nipple, the portions of flange 26 which are at opposite sides of the slit 2'! are free to move upward under the suction so as to take the position shown by the dotted line in Fig. 9 and allow a certain amount of air to enter the nipple over the edge of flange 26. This incoming air is free to move into the upper part of the nipple through the air conduit which is at'the right of Fig. 2, such conduit being provided by the somewhat distended nipple wall lying against 4 neck and the base portion of the nipple and preventing leakage of milk at this region.

The improved nipple can be inexpensively produced and it provides a rugged structure having a strong side wall, the lower part of which is very firmly engaged with the neck, while at the same time the nipple can be mounted very readily, even when in a dry condition, and removed from the bottle very readily. The thinner portion of the side wall conforms closely to the bottle bead so as y to prevent leakage of milk in this region. The

the bottle neck and bottle bead, the structure in I question involving the ribs 28, 29, the ribextension 28 and the wall 3|. The air entering over the flange '26 passes into the channel'provided between the ribs 28 and 29, and then moves laterally along one side of the rib extension 28 which extension is then conformed to thebottle bead l2,

on the nipple tip is discontinued, that portion of the flange 26 adjacent slit 21'which acts as a valve is restored to the initial position, shown in Fig. 5, thus closing the space between the bottle provisions for preventing collapse of the nipple have already been referred to. These include the wallor septum 3| which provides an air passage at the side thereof, and which causes entering air to-be carried upwardly beyond the shoulder 25.

Various modifications and changes in the details can be made without departing from the principles of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

l; A nursing nipple havingia relatively thick wall extending to the lower end of the nipple, said wall being provided at the lower end with a flange extending inwardly and adapted'ito impinge against the bottle neck, said Wall being cut away above said flange to provide 'agrooveextending transversely to the bottle neck, said flange being cut across to provide air-valve means serving to admit air from the atmosphere to said groove, the nipple being provided with a Wall portion of reduced thickness to engage a bead at the mouth of the bottle, and the nipple being provided with means for conducting air from said groove across the bottle bead and to the upper part of the nipple.

2. A nursing nipple having a relativelythick side wall with a thin Zone in the wall to engage a bead at the mouth ofthe bottle, said nipple having air-inlet provisions includin an interior wall extending across and upwardly beyond the thin zone and impinging at its edge agaist the side surface of the bead, said ai-r-inlet'provisions also including a lateral flange on the nipple wall bearing laterally against the bottle neck and slit transversely to provide movable valve means.

3. A nursing nipple having'a lower end portion with a relatively thick wall, said nipple having air inlet provisions including an internal groove in said wall directed transversely to the nipple axis and formed in part by a flange located at the lower end iOf the nipple'adapted to engag'ethe bottle to exclude air, and with the groove in communication with upwardly leading air passage means, said flange having a slitted air-inlet portion to provide movable valve means for said nipple.

GEORGE W. GOODSO-N.

REFERENCES CITED The following references ar e of re cordlin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

